Wireless receiving apparatus for exploding mines.



NIL 850.972. 1 PATENTED APR. 2611907.

P. SCHNEIDER.

WIREI IBSS RECEIVING. APPARATUS FOR BX PLODING MINES. APPLICATION FILED 1mm. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W ms ATTORvXEf.

4 PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.

F. SCHNEIDER. WIRELESS RECEIVING APPARATUS FOR EXPLODING MINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1m m M H. J wWw WAMM. m m R H a? d.

VHRELESS RECEIVlNG APPARATUS FOR EXPLODENG M lNES. V

Specification. of Letters Patent.

FERDINAND SCHNEIDER, OF LANGENFELQ GERMANY.

Patented April 23, 1907.

Applicat on filed January 3, 1906. Serial No. 294,49b.

. 1'0 ail whom it JH/CLZ/ concern:

Be it known that 1, FERDINAND SCHNEI- DER, a citizen pf Germany, residing at Langenl'eld, itheinlan'd, Prussia, have invented a new and useful Wireless Receiving Apparatus for Exploding Mines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

iy invention relates to the receiving- W res of the receiving apparatus.

in Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings the new receiving apparatus is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example. Fig. 3 shows the electric exploding apparatus in a larger scale.

tteferring to a submarine mine, as shown in Fig. 1 of the annexed drawings, an elec trio exploding apparatus is inserted into the floatingrmine casing b for the purpose of firing the charge of the m ne by means of. electrlc waves. The mine I; is-anchored to the bottom n of the sea by means of the anchor Z, so that it is-situated below the watenlevcl a. The receivi11g-wires d and e, consisting of cables with indie-rubber sheaths, are con nected to the electrodes 0 p of the electric ex- I ploding apparatus and are made tight at the place where they are led into the mi ne-c asing. '1 he ends ft and t of the receiving-cables are supported by the lloatsf andy and are so formed that they extend into the air in the form. of tufts. The positions of the 'lloatsfg may be specially secured by means of an chors l: and m.

For land-mines, Fig. 2, the receivingwiresc d/ are. also made of india-rubberinsulated cable and are placed under the earths surface of and lead to the casing b of'the mine and exploding apparatus. The ends of the receiving-wires extend out of the soil as.

terminal capacities it t" in the form of tufts.

This receiving arrangement for electric waves has the advantage that the terminal capacities thereof are not conspicuous, which is desirable for purposes of military engineer. ing.

The electric exploding apparatus 0, which is also disclosed in a separate patent applica- 'tion,Serial No. 281,548,filcd October 5, 1905, and entitled Improvement in apparatus for exploding mines by means of electric waves, is more particularly shown in Fig. 3. The two metal strips 3 and 4 are so fastened to the board 2 that the coherer-gap is formed at 1. Both these strips 3 and 4 are bent to form. an angle at 5 andv 6, respectively.

-part 19 of key 14.

conductively connected with the cohcren A circular recess is formed in the board 2, into which fits one of the well-known alarm,- clocks. The,-,clock is' fastened to the board by means of angle-pieces24 23, and the dial and the hands of the clock are visible from the backpf the board 2'. When the alarm is running down, the hammer 22 strikes against both the angle-bends 5 and 6.

The knob 18 serves for setting the time at which the explosion, is to take place and the knob 17 for setting the hands of the clock.

The key is for winding up the works/of the clock, and the key 14 serves for winding up the alarm. The movement of the key 14 is restricted to ninety degrees by means of stops 21. At the back of the clock is secured a vulcanite strip 11, to which the contact-springs 10 12 are fitted. The upper contact-spring 12 carries the contact-pin 13, which is pressed down to form contact by the The contact-spriing 12 is electrode 4 by wire 16 and contact-screw 26. The spring 10 is conductively connected by thewire 9 with the positive pole of the battery 8, while the negative pole is conductively connected by the wire 7 and contactscrew with the coherer-e'lectrode 3. The electrodes 3 and 4 are connected to the receiving-wires (1 c.

The apparatus works as follows: The clock is wound up and the hands set to the proper time, and then the time at which the explosion is to take place is also set by means of the knob 18. The key 14 is now turned through an angle of ninety degrees from left to right until it comes into contact with the stop 21, thus winding up the spring of the alarm, and the contact of the spring12 and 10 is opened, so that the battery 8 is now switched off. The person laying the mine then shakes the igniting coherer-powder onto the division 1,so that it covers the surface between the angles 5 6. This coherer-powder, which is disclosed in a separate patent apphcation, Serial No. 281,549, dated October 5, 1905, and entitled An explosive cohererpowder, consists of minute and very thin metallic leaves mixed or aggregated with an explosive. It has this property, that-1t 1s nonconductive, so that even high potentials may be employed without passing through If, however, this coherer-powder is submitted to the action of electric waves, this resistance is partially overcome. current flows through and heats the mass to The incandescence, so that the explosive powder mixed with it is ignited, thus igniting the "explosive piled upor arranged near it.

As described above, the battery-contact 12 1s opened on winding u the alarm, so

,that any electric waves resulting at the same time are no source of danger to the layer of the mine, as although the latter waves render the powder conductive nevertheless, the circuit being opened, no action can result, fter a-certain time the spring of the alarm runs down, the hammer 22 begins to work,

- and by striking against the angles 5 6 thor-- oughly shakes up the powder, so that it is com etely decohered when the part 19 of the ey 14, turning from right to left, presses down the contact-pin and connects the local battery with the coherer. This decoherering of the powder before the closing of the local circuit is important, because it prevents that when the powder should be decohered by waves arising during the laying of the mine it is ignited at once by merely closing the local circuit. After closing the local circuit the coherer is ignited by electric waves and can therefore be exploded from sparking ratus.

2. Receiving apparatus for explosive submarine and land mines adapted to be exploded with the aid of electric waves, comprising a mine-chamber, an exploding device arranged in said chamber and sensitive to electric waves, and long receiving-wires connected with said exploding apparatus the said receiving-wires being insulated with the exception of their ends.

3. Receiving apparatus for explosive submarine and land mines adapted to be'exploded with the aid of electric waves, comprising a mine-chamber, an exploding device seas-7a arranged in said chamber and sensitive to electric waves, and long insulated receivingwires connected with said exploding'appa ratus and arranged in such a manner t only the free ends thereof extend into the ,atmosphere, the other portions of said cablesbeing situated below'the surface of thewater' or earth.

4. Receiving apparatus for ex losive' submarine and land mines adapte to be exploded with the aid of electric waves, com

prising a mine-chamber, an exploding device arranged in said chamber and sensitive to electric waves and long insulated receivingwires connected with said ex lodin .65' I appa" ratus said wires being situa ed be ow the surface of the water or earth with the exception of the free tuft-likeends whichextend into the atmosphere.

5. Receiving apparatus for explosive submarine mines adapted to be exploded with the aid of electric waves, comprising a minechamber, an exploding device arranged in said chamber and sensitive to electric waves, and long insulatedreceiving-wires connected with said exploding apparatus and arranged in such a manner that only the free ends ,thereof extend into the atmosphere, said ends being supported by floats, thev other. portions of said cables being situated below the surface of the water. 7

6. Receiving apparatus for explosive submarine mines adapted to be exploded with the aid of electric waves, comprising a minechamber, an exploding device arranged in said chamber and sensitive to electric waves, and long insulated receiving-wires connected with said exploding apparatus and arranged in such a manner that only the free ends thereof extend into the atmosphere, said. ends being supported by anchored floats, the other portions of said cables being situated below the surface of the Water.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND SCHNEIEE presence of BESSIE F. DUNLAP,

LOUIS VANDORN. 

